Double container



Patented Sept. 23, 1952 DOUBLE CONTAINER Martin E. Mayer, New York,NtY., assigner to Joseph Solomon, NewYork, N. Y.

Application August 25, 1950,'Seral'No. 181,552

9 Claims. 1

This invention relates to receptacle structures and more particularly tojars and similar containers-made of glass, plastic or plasticcomposition or like transparent mass.

In its broad aspects the invention-deals with a dual or partitionedcontainer for holding substances of` different consistencies and colorcontrasts; which substances may be dispensed from opposite openings ofsaid container, respectively.

i'Ihe invention is applicable to cylindrical, as well as to othersuitably shaped containers, Vwhich may be of convex or bulbous bodyconfiguration :and are provided with opposite opening ends,

which are closable by caps, such as screw caps of conventional design.

It is a well known fact that containers of the aforesaid type require apredetermined volume ofair ora so-called head space which extendsbetween the surface of the liquid or other substance filled in andoccupying the interior of the container and the inner surface of thescrew cap or like closure seated on the rim of the opening ofthecontainer.

If such container filled with said substance is turned upside down,theaforesaid head space vwill become noticeable at the bottom of thecontainer.

vIf the container is constructed to contain a plurality of substanceswhich are separated from each other by a partition which runs across themiddle of the container and forms the bottom, say, of a dual container,then the head space in each opposite container portion will become lvisible adjacent said partition, whenever the container is placed torest on one or the other of the closure or screw cap of the container.

The appearance and demarkation of such "head space in a dual or dividedcontainer having several compartments entails, however, disadvantageswhich offset utility and usefulness of such containers.

The invention does away with these and other objections and proposesmeans affording the employment of" horizontally divided or partitionedair or head space" required in the respective compartment.

lAefu-rther object of the invention is to provide means rendering2possible simplification and effectiveness of dual or partitionedcontainers of the aforesaid type, which permit dispensing of at leasttwo different substances, such as liquids, from within a transparentshell or housing which defines the outersurface of the dual container.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of means conduciveto an economical and space saving container structure, which requires 'areduced quantity of packaging operationsrand material as compared withpackaging of regular containers holding like volumes. With the above andother objects ingview, the invention will be hereinafter more fullykdescribed and the combination and arrangement of parts will be shown inthe accompanying drawing and pointed out in the claimsy which vform parto'f the specification. -1 v Inthe drawing: y

Fig. 1 is a verticalcross sectional view through a vcontainer showingthe state of the art.

Fig.2 is a vertical'sectionalview of-a container made in accordance withthe invention;

Fig. 3 shows acontainerpartly in section embodying another form of theinvention., l f Y Fig; 4 is a'crosssectional view taken along linelI-''lofFig.3.Y y Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional View through `containerof a different shape than those seen in Figs. 2 and 3 and embodying theinvention in afurtlier modified form. 1 f s y Referring vnow moreparticularlyto, the drawing and in particular to Fig. l there is shown acontainer I 0 forming a jar made of glass and lcylindrical in shape.This jar is shown toV have two open endsNII and I2 which are close'dflbyscrew caps I3 and I4, respectively; A'y partition I5 divides containerI0 into compartments I5a and Iiibjrespectively.` Compartment I5a isfilled with a substance I6 whereas compartment I5b is filled with asubstance I1. Substances Yliand"v I1 are preferably liquids diierent incolor and,` if desired, of different consistencies. y

It is well known thatsuch containers must have an air or head spaceyl'which extends between the Vsurface i9 of the substance I6 and theinner surface 20 of cap I3. The same head space IIiak is produced inthevlower compartment I5b but appears in the latter adjacent partition I5.

It is well understood that head space IIlis not give the impression asif the same was only partly lled with the substance I1, if the containerI is arranged in upright position, as seen in Fig. 1. If the containeris turned for support on cap I3 head space I8 now appearing uppermostand covered by cap I3 would become apparent adjacent partition ,I5 in away similar .to` that ofl head space I8a.

In order to increase the sale and commercial possibilities of dual jarsor containers of the aforesaid type the invention proposes in contraasseen, for instance, in Fig. 1.

distinction to the construction seen in Fig. '1 toY provide a containermade from glass or similar transparent material which is cylindrical in`cross section and provided at its' opposite open ends 3| and 32 withscrew threads or similarretaining means 33 and 34 for the engagement lofa` metal or screw cap 35, 36, respectively. In the which has oppositelydirected recesses 31a, 31h

for apurpose about Yto bedescribed. As can be seen in Fig. 2 thesubstance 38a. contained in -upper compartment 38-forms a head space 394 for instance, marmalade in 64 and blackberry jelly in 64a.

The head space 68 in the lower compartment 64a is hidden from viewthrough the concentrical grooves 51a, 51h, etc., forming parts ofpartition 51, which grooves are arranged at levels different from thelevel of portionsv62, 63 and remote from the latter, it will be readilyunderstood that said head space 68 of lower compartment 64a, will not beexposed to view in a manner Thus, it will be clearthat the partitionends 62, 63 will only divide the container into two equal containerhalves.

whlchis ordinarily not visible to the eye.of a

f person due .to the fact that cap 35 covers vup and ing to that 'of thehead `space 39 is received in recess 31h fand 'is indicated by numeral39a.. The

container 'compartment 40 containing the substance 40a hasr ahead space'which corresponds in volume to the volume of airf39b contained in recess31a whereby since the partition 31 is made of transparent material thisair space 39h is shifted and transferred to the middle of thecontainer30 r-as compared with Vthe lhead space 18a seen in Fig. 1.

Consequently head space 39h or the volume of air corresponding tovthe-'latter isfsurrounded by the substances 38aland 40a and will notbecome exposed to view to the purchaser of such :dual container. Thus,it can be readily understood that container 30 may be placed on` eithercap 35 or 36 without making visible 1the1head space as it would appearin dual containers of conventional design as exemplied'inFig. 1.

Fig. "3 shows a container 50-galso circular in .shape and made fromtransparent glass material having'the epen ends `5I and 52 and the screw--threads .53 and 54 for the screw rcaps 55 and 56.

plurality vof concentrical grooves or recesses of different sizes with acenter groove .'59 of larger .dimension than the adjacent grooves 6D, 6I

.It is to be noted that straight partition ends or portions 62 and 63extend in horizontal direction from each end of the grooved transversevpartition-51. In this particular execution of the invention the volumeof head space 65 of upper `compartment-64 ycorresponds to the volume ofsubstance -66 contained -in grooves 51a and 51h.

vIt will be observed that lower compartment 64a having the head space 68vis filled with a vsubstance 69 which has preferably a different colorthan that .o'f substance A6I; of compartment `64,

Fig. 5 shows the application of the invention on a bulbous jar 10 havingthe upper open end 1I vand the lower open end 12 which are again closedby suitable screw caps 15 and 16 which engage the screw threads 13 and14 of the convexly shaped container wall 10a.

Screw cap 15 contains the liner .15a whereas screw cap 16 is associatedwith liner 16a to tightly t on the upper rim dening opening 1I andlower` rim defining the opening 1.2, respectively. A partition integralwith the wall 10a. of the container 10 extends substantially across thecontainer and has the `straight partition portions 18, 19 and theupwardly extending receding portions 8D forming an annular spaceBIfbetween which extends the downwardly directed central partitionportion 82 providing a recess having a'volume 83. Thus partition 11`issomewhat shaped in the form of a sinusoidal 'wave which is disposed atthe middle portion of fthe jar or container 10. It will thus `becomeapparent that Ythe 'head space corresponds in volume approximately tothe volume 83 of substance 84 contained in the upper compartment,whereas annular space V8| communicates with the lower compartment 86acontaining-substance 81 and corresponding to the head space present andextending between the inner surface of the cap lining `16a and thesurface of the substance'81 when container 10 would lbe placed in upsidedown position on cap 15.

The volume 83 of substance 84 is about equivalent to the volume 85 ofair'present in compartmentv 86,4 whereas air volume .,8I corresponds tothe vabove explained head space of compartment 86a. Both volumes v83 and8| may be equal to each other, if desired.

While partition'portion 60 forms in this particular instance an annulusand central partition portion 82 a cylindrical recess, it is wellunderstood `that the aforesaid partition portions may have any othersuitable (round, domeshaped, etc.) congurations or cross-sections, aslong as they are adapted to receive and hold the respective air or headspace volume of the'upper or lower container compartments of the dualcontainer, substantially in the center part of the latter. Such spaceshould not be recognized or perceived by Lthe purchaser, in order not todisturb lthe aesthetic appearance Vand'featurl: of sales promotion ofthe container.

It is to be noted that the contents of the upper and lower container orjar compartments may be equal. It is further to be observed that due tothe fact that the recess or recesses communicating with one compartmentextend in'a direction opposite to that of the recess or recessescommunicating with the other of the compartments, the cubical capacityof each compartment is principally not changed `with4 `rewww spect to acontainer having a straight partition as seen in Fig. 1.

It can thus be seen that there has been provided in accordance withthepresent invention the provision of a partition in a transparentcontainer having opposite discharge ends, which partition extendssubstantially in the middle and across the interior of said container,with at least one recess provided in said partition at about the centerthereof and in communication with a respective discharge end of saidcontainer, the volumetric contents of said one recess correspendingapproximately to the volume of air present above the surface of therespective substance and the adjacent inner face of the closure memberwhen closing the respective discharge end.

It is preferred that the partition is made cf the same transparent massand is integral with that of the container although in some cases itmight be useful to employ a separate partition which is located withinthe interior of the container and 'xed to the inner wall thereof in anyappropriate manner.

Although the invention has been described with reference to certainjspecic embodiments thereof, it is to be distinctly understood thatvarious modifications and adaptations of the arrangements hereindisclosed may be made as may readily occur to persons skilled in the artwithout constituting a departure from the spirit and scope of theinvention as defined in the objects and in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. A transparent receptacle for a plurality of substances; comprising apartition extending in substantially horizontal direction across theinterior of said receptacle dividing said receptacle into twocompartments, said partition including at least two recesses, saidrecesses being directed in opposed relationship to each other anddisposed to extend approximately in the center of said partition, aclosable discharge end for each compartment at either end of saidrecep-` tacle, and a closure having an inner top surface and adapted tobe applied to each discharge end, the respective recess communicatingwith the respective discharge end of either of said compartments beingapproximately of such dimension as to receive a volume of airsubstantially equal to and present within the space defined by thesurface of the respective substance and said inner top surface of therespective closure of the respective compartment in a predeterminedposition of said receptacle.

2. A transparent receptacle for a plurality cf substances; comprising apartition extending in substantially horizontal direction across theinterior of said receptacle dividing said receptacle into twocompartments, said partition having a plurality of concentric recessesof different diameters, said recesses opening into the respectivecompartments, a closable dischargel end for each compartment at eitherend of said recep-Y tacle, and a closure for each discharge end, wherebythe respective recesses communicating with the respective discharge endof either of v said container, said one recess corresponding saidcompartments are dimensioned to receive 1 mediate said annular channel.

-le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 748,329 Williamson Dec. 29, 19032,204,784 Abrams June 18, 194:0

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 575,197 France Apr. 16, 1924displaced air from the respective compartment in a predeterminedposition of said receptacle.

3. A transparent receptacle for a plurality of substances; comprising apartition extending in substantially horizontal direction across theinterior of said receptacle and dividing said receptacle into twocompartments, said partition being provided with an annular recess and apocket, said annular recess being directed in opposed relation to saidpocket, said pocket and said annular recess being disposed to extendapproximately in the center of said partition, a closable discharge endfor each compartment at either end of said receptacle, and closure meansfor each discharge end, said annular recess communicating with thedischarge end of one compartment, said pocket communicating with thedischarge end of the other compartment.

4. The combination, in a transparent container"v having oppositedischarge ends for a plurality of substances and a closure member foreach discharge end, of a partition extending substantially in the middleand across the interior of said container, with at least one recessprovided in said partition at about the center thereof and incommunication with a respective discharge end of in size approximatelyto the head space defined by the surface of the respective substance andthe inner top surface of the closure member closing the respectivedischarge end.

5. The combination according to claim 4, wherein said partition isprovided with end portions which extend in horizontal direction andsubstantially at right angles to and for connection with the wall ofsaid container. 6.,The combination according to claim 4, wherein saidpartition includes horizontally directed outer end portions and isprovided with two substantially centrally located recesses which extendin opposite relation to each other above and below said outer endportions of said partition.

'7. The combination according to claimv 6, wherein one of said recessesforms an annular channel, the other recess being arranged inter- 8. Thecombination according to claim 6, wherein said centrally locatedrecesses are concentrically disposed with respect te each other.

9. The combination according to claim 6, wherein the volumetric capacityof one of said recesses is substantially equal to that of said otherrecess.

MARTIN E. MAYER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the

